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Parents slam writer for claiming women who have sperm donor babies are 'selfish'

Hillary Freeman argued that parenting should include two parents. [Photo: Getty]
Hillary Freeman argued that parenting should include two parents. [Photo: Getty]

Parents have slammed a writer who came under fire after branding single women who use sperm-donors as ‘selfish’.

Hillary Freeman argued parenting should be a ‘shared enterprise’ in a recent debate on UK breakfast show This Morning, hosted by Rochelle Humes and John Barrowman.

She appeared on the show alongside Genevieve Roberts, a woman who used a sperm donor to have her first baby.

As part of her stance, Hillary said she believes the ideal circumstance is for a child to having both a mother and father, but was widely criticised online for having ‘archaic’ views towards parenting.

Lots of people are single mothers through circumstance, and they do fantastically and that’s great,” she said.

“But choosing to have a child on your own, you’re denying your child a father. You’re denying your child that relationship.”

But Rochelle Humes argued against Hillary Freeman’s opinion, revealing she was raised by a single mother and questioned its detriment as ‘a lot of people are in those circumstances.’

If you want to make the decision to raise a child, lots of people get stuck in anyway now.”

Hillary again rebutted and asked, ‘but do they?’ raising the point that people are lonelier than ever and live further away from their families than in previous generations.

If there are two sets of parents, you’ve got two sets of grandparents, friends, uncles and aunts and cousins.”

Hillary believes the ideal circumstance is for children to have two parents. Photo: Getty Images
Hillary believes the ideal circumstance is for children to have two parents. Photo: Getty Images

Author Genevieve Roberts said: “Love and support are the two most important things for a child.”

She also described having a long-term partner as a ‘fortunate situation’.

Many viewers disagreed with Hillary’s views, suggesting that even if a child has both a mother and father they can still be incompetent.

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